The cascade of events starting with the November 2010 unveiling of the DPRK’s enrichment and small light water reactor program that culminated with the Fukushima meltdowns after the 3.11 earthquake-tsunami has redefined the nuclear issue in the region， and especially in Korea.1
The nuclear event in Japan is not yet over. That will only happen when the reactors that suffered partial meltdowns at Fukushima achieve some kind of cold shutdown status， and the spent fuel ponds are stabilized. It will take at least a year to achieve this status;2 and then between 1 and 3 decades to dismantle and cleanup the site and surrounding area.3
Thus， it is still premature to speculate on the exact scope of the event and its implications both for nuclear power and nuclear proliferation in the region.